


The Deep-Sea Duke - chapter extract

by Laurenjames



Series: The Watchmaker and the Duke [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:34:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29219565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurenjames/pseuds/Laurenjames
Summary: *This is the first chapter of a published novel, out now!*When Hugo and Ada travel to their friend Dorian’s planet for the holidays, android Hugo is anxious about being accepted by Dorian’s powerful family. But when they arrive on Hydrox, there are more pressing things to worry about, as the planet has been overrun by refugee butterflies. Displaced from their home by climate change, the butterflies have been offered sanctuaryby Dorian’s parents, but they’re quickly running out of space. Meanwhile, beneath the seas, a strange creature is wreaking all kinds of havoc …Can Hugo, Dorian and Ada step in before the crisis gets out of control?Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 12+, this is a sequel toThe Starlight Watchmaker, which was shortlisted for the STEAM Children's Book Prize 2020 and nominated for the Carnegie medal. The second book inThe Watchmaker and the Dukeseries is a 17,000 word novella which will be published in paperback and eBook by Barrington Stoke.
Relationships: Duke Dorian Luther/Hugo
Series: The Watchmaker and the Duke [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145345





	The Deep-Sea Duke - chapter extract

**Chapter 1**

Dorian’s expression was tense but determined.

“Don’t worry,” he said, as the spaceship shook. “We are absolutely _not_ going to crash-land.”

Hugo was not reassured. He braced himself against Ada’s side, eyes tightly shut. She hummed a reassuring ditty at Hugo, as Dorian flailed around the helm. He was twisting dials and flicking switches in a chaotic fashion.

They were travelling to Dorian’s home planet for the school holidays. Hugo had started getting anxious when Dorian had announced that he would be piloting the four-seater shuttle all by himself. His friend had a habit of hyping up his own skills beyond reality.

But most of the journey through outer space had been fine, as the ship had just sailed in a straight line. For three weeks, the three of them had sat around playing card games, while listening to cheesy radio plays on the gramophone. But as soon as they’d entered orbit, the ship had needed to be piloted again. Dorian had started struggling.

“Have you done this before?” Hugo asked, through gritted teeth. The spaceship was making a clicking, whirring noise, like something inside the clockwork propulsion system was complaining loudly.

The planet curved out before them, clear blue water stretching out as far as Hugo could see. Unfortunately, the stunning view kept jolting and stuttering, as the ship fell through the atmosphere.

Dorian tapped the controls again. He sheepishly said, “Actually – this might be a good time to mention that I’ve only got my provisional driving licence. I haven’t ever done this a landing from space before. Plus, Ada’s weight is unbalancing the ship. Er.”

Ada exploded in growls, red sparks of anger shooting out of her. “Rude, Dorian! I thought you had invited me for a fun week with your pals, not _my death_!”

Dorian looked cowed, but kept flicking buttons. It was very clear that he had no idea what he was doing. When the shuttle twisted into a tumble-turn, Hugo leaned forward to help. He didn’t know how to fly a spaceship, but he did know how clockwork and cogs worked. So he knew that Dorian was pressing completely the wrong things.

Hugo pulled a latch in the ceiling, following the path of the springs to the find what it controlled. A rudder unfolded from the bottom of the shuttle. Their decent immediately slowed down, as the shuttle flattening out and began gliding on air.

“Oh.” Dorian’s green antennae drooped as he watched Hugo work. He sprawled back in his chair, letting Hugo lean over him to unwind a gossamer-thin chain from a reel.

Above the ship, a silken parachute unfurled. It caught the weight of the shuttle, which stopped falling towards the ocean and began floating in the wind, drifting downwards.

Ada stopped spitting lava and peered out of the window.

“It’s quite beautiful,” she said, surprised. “Is this really _your_ planet, Dorian?”

Dorian looked affronted, puffing out his chest. “My dear girl! Of course it is!”

He gazed proudly out of the window as Hugo directed the shuttle to land delicately on the water. “My family have ruled this planet for generations. My father is the King, and his mother was Queen before that. I’ll inherit the throne one day.”

Outside, a crab climbed over the windscreen, tapping curiously at the glass with its claws.

“Thank you for that expert landing, Hugo,” Ada said. “I dread to think where we’d be without you.”

Dorian grinned. “I say that about Hugo every day.”

He leaned in to whisper to Hugo, “Seriously, my fellow, I had no idea what I was doing. We’d be as flat as a manta ray right now, if you hadn’t stepped in. I should have hired a pilot for the trip really, but I wanted to impress you by doing it myself.”

Hugo was pleased. Making himself useful was the least he could do for Dorian and Ada. He hadn’t known them for very long, so he always felt like a third wheel, getting in the way of their friendship. He’d been very surprised when Dorian had invited Hugo home for the holidays.

Hugo was an android. He was built out of clockwork and cogs just like the spaceship. Because of that, most people saw him as an object. A servant to be commanded and ordered around. Dorian and Ada were the only people Hugo had ever met who treated him like a real person. Even though they were both very rich, with titles of nobility. He would do anything for them.

“Well!” Dorian clapped his hands together. “Shall we depart?”

Dorian strolled out of the shuttle first. There was a welcoming party lined up waiting for him, standing on a raft floating on the water. It was woven out of tightly plaited seaweed tendrils.

“Welcome home, Duke Dorian Luther,” a short man said. All of the courtiers had the same green skin and antennae as Dorian. They were dressed in smart turquoise suits with silver embroidery on the lapels.

“Your landing has . . . improved,” the man added, as Dorian helped Hugo climb onto the seaweed platform, holding out a hand to steady him. He didn’t let go of his hand, even after Hugo had regained his balance.

Dorian said, “All down to my friend Hugo here.”

There was a pause as the courtiers took in Hugo’s clockwork parts. They didn’t seem to have ever met an android before.

“Welcome, Hugo,” one of them said at last.

Hugo gave the courtiers a little bow, unsure of the polite greeting. It changed from planet to planet, but a bow didn’t seem like it would offend anyone.

Above them, the shuttle’s parachute was dancing in the fresh sea-salt wind. Hugo could see a silver crest woven into its fabric. The same crest was embroidered on Dorian’s subjects’ turquoise suits. Was that his family crest? Hugo looked down at his own chest, which was stamped with the symbol of the factory where he’d been built. Somehow, that wasn’t quite the same.

“Thank you for meeting us,” Dorian said, as the shuttle shuddered from side to side behind them. Ada must be standing up inside.

Dorian coughed. “Lady Adedeneumdora de Winters is also joining us for the summer.” He looked down at the platform. “I’m not sure this is going to hold her weight, though.”

Hugo found himself grinning. He knew what was coming.

When Ada stepped out of the shuttle, the entire group gasped in unison. The raft sank several metres under her weight, water lapping over the surface. One of the men gave a startled shout of surprise, and fell backwards onto his bottom. He gaped up at Ada, antenna waving nervously.

When Hugo giggled, Dorian squeezed his hand and winked at him.

Ada gave the crowd a regal elegant wave. She span slightly, so they could take her in properly. Ada was an island. She was made out of rock and lava – a living, walking hillock. It had taken Hugo a long time to get used to that, even though the academy where they studied was full of aliens from all over the galaxy. Sentient gas clouds studied alongside aquatic ocean people like Dorian.

But Ada was extra rare. Her species only reproduced once in a thousand years, and lived for millennia. They grew in size by building layers of rock on the outside of their bodies until they were the size of a continent.

One day, Ada would grow into a full-sized planet herself. But right now she was just a few centuries old, so she was only the size of a small building. She hadn’t been allowed to get any bigger until she finished her studies. Ada had finally graduated just before they’d left for the summer. Dorian had been hugely jealous of this, because he still had a whole semester of school left.

Ada had spent the whole long trip to Hydrox crammed into Dorian’s tiny passenger shuttle, talking about how much magma she was going to release when she had space to fill. She was really excited about it.

At night, Dorian and Hugo had stretched out on her back to sleep, in a little crevice she’d made for them. There wasn’t enough room for them to lie down anywhere else. In the mornings, Hugo’s cogs had been seized up from being stuck in one position for so long.

“Hello, ladies and gentleman,” Ada said to Dorian’s courtiers, who were still gaping at her and trying to recover from their surprise. Ada was used to the attention. Hugo thought she probably quite enjoyed it. She smiled, revealing the molten magma rolling around her insides. “What a wonderful welcome!”

Dorian looked as proud as anything, clearly thrilled to be bringing home two of the most shocking people he could find – a servant-class android and a living volcano. Hugo just felt embarrassed at all the fuss. Ada let off an extravagant and unnecessary spark of red-hot lava, which trickled down her rough granite bulk. One of the courtiers fainted.


End file.
